New in The Cupboard

For me, the personalities in my wargames armies are important. It is always a source of extra satisfaction if there is a customised drummer in this regiment, or an odd figure with a bit of history in that one. One of my French infantry battalions, for example, has - completely out of context - a mounted officer from the first box of Airfix Waterloo French I ever bought. After a period when I have systematically cleared out and replaced all the figures which were substandard, and bought in all sorts of prestigious castings from Jorg Schmaeling and so on, I deliberately retained that one Airfix officer as a memorial to the early days of my armies, when Airfix formed most of what I had.

Non-regulation hat

In a similar vein, I am always on the lookout for unusual staff figures - it is not so easy to believe in your generals if they are all very obviously identical brothers, from the same mould. Here's a new chap - a French General de Brigade wearing an infantry shako - form your own explanation why he chooses to wear his lucky hat (or whatever) - this is clearly Hinton Hunt FN224 with a new head. I am reluctant to hack up old HH figures myself, but am always pleased to buy in conversions which someone else has done, to add variety - I like this little chap.


Late edit, to oblige Louis - as requested, here is the old Airfix mounted officer in the 2/27e Ligne. This entire brigade used to be Airfix - the officer must date from the very early 1970s - you will note that in those days I was keen enough to replace sword-blades with dressmaking pins. To heighten the contrast, I see that the Les Higgins rank and file are now augmented by distinctly up-market eagle-bearer and drummer from Art Miniaturen.